


Outtakes

by Ronoken



Series: The Miraculous World of Caline Bustier [12]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien can't catch a break, Caline Bustier is the queen we deserve, Caline Knows, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Outtake, adrien is clueless, chloe has issues, love advice, marinette is a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:53:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23480494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ronoken/pseuds/Ronoken
Summary: This is a collection of deleted sections and/or outtakes from the series the Miraculous World of Caline Bustier. First up is an abandoned story opener exploring Adrien asking his favorite teacher for some much-needed advice on girls. Well, one girl.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: The Miraculous World of Caline Bustier [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1654729
Comments: 63
Kudos: 251
Collections: The What To Do Series





	1. The One Where Adrien Asked for Love Advice

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all.
> 
> A lot of people asked for these outtakes just to see what they were, so I thought, why not? It doesn't hurt anything to share. This scene was originally the opener for the Adventures of Captain Cowgirl, which was going to focus more on Adrien and Marinette. As the fic got going, I found a place for Alya instead and figured I hadn't given her any attention so far, so why not? As a result, the opening was ditched to be used later, but later never came. So, here you go!

**The One Where Adrien Asked for Love Advice**

It was a windy, Monday afternoon, and Caline Bustier was sitting in her tiny office with the window cracked for fresh air (but only a little, due to the gusts outside) and going over her lesson plans for the week. She was focused on the upcoming unit concerning ancient Greece when she heard a knock on her door.

Quickly, she minimized the window she had up for the Ladyblog. To be fair, she had taught this lessen several times in the past and had it down by now, so really? She was goofing. She could have gone home, but she was still telling herself she was going to do something with her afternoon, and she knew the second she got home, any chance of that happening was officially shot.

She had a _very_ comfy chair, after all. And according to Ziggy, her kwami, her magic glowin’ box wasn’t going to watch itself.

Caline looked up and said, “come in.” She was fully expecting to see Marinette, or maybe Chloe? Sometimes the feisty blonde would pop by to check in and talk, which Caline found adorable. Still, nine out of ten times, it was typically…

“Adrien?” Caline said, a bit surprised. “Come in.”

“Hi, Ms. Bustier,” Adrien said with a sheepish smile. “Am I disturbing you? I, um, I can come back…”

“You’re fine, Adrien,” Caline said with a warm smile. “Come in. How can I help you? Is this about your test last week? Also, don’t you have a tight schedule? How are you even here?”

Adrien shook his head. “No, ma’am. This was… I actually moved some things around to speak with you,” he said. Caline motioned for him to sit, so he settled onto her small, pink chase.

“Well, I’m honored,” Caline said. “Cocoa?” She held up her mug.

Adrien shook his head. “No thank you. I, um, I was hoping I could talk to you about something.” He blushed lightly and rubbed the back of his head out of nervousness.

 _‘He is adorable,’_ Caline thought to herself. ‘ _He’s like something out of a Hello Kitty cartoon.’_

“Well, you have my attention,” Caline said. “What’s up?”

Adrien fidgeted in his seat. “First off, I’m so sorry to bother you with all this, but I really don’t have anywhere else I feel comfortable turning. I mean, I can’t ask my, um, my mother, and Nathalie is, well, she’s a bit distant. I don’t really feel comfortable talking to her about certain things.”

Caline smirked. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t feel comfortable around her, either.”

Adrien laughed at that. “Yeah, she can come off a little frosty, but that’s just her. She’s really not so bad once you get to know her. I guess.”

Adrien shifted in place a bit as Caline patiently waited. See, with situations like this, you could keep asking a teen what’s wrong and they could put it off all day, but Caline learned a long time ago that if you just sat and waited, they couldn’t handle the quiet. They snapped.

“…It’s about a girl,” Adrien blurted out.

“Oh?” Caline said, one eyebrow raised. “Do go on.”

Adrien continued to blush. “Well, I just, I need advice, and you’re the best person I could… No, you know what? This isn’t fair to you. I’m putting you out. I should go…”

Adrien started to get up as Caline sipped her cocoa and asked, “Is it a girl in our class, by chance?”

Adrien blushed a little harder. He slowly sat back down. “Maybe.” Adrien took a deep breath. “So, there’s this girl. She’s the sweetest, kindest person I think I’ve ever met in my life.”

Caline nodded thoughtfully. “Mmmm, I thought so.”

Adrien looked up. “You know who I’m talking about?”

Caline nodded. “I do, but you’re going to have a hard time getting Rose away from Juleka.”

Adrien sputtered. “What? No! I mean, that’s not who… You’re kidding, aren’t you?”

Caline was covering her smile, but yes, she was laughing. “Sorry, kiddo. I couldn’t resist. So, please go on about this mystery girl.”

Adrien gathered his wits and continued. “Anyway, I’ve wanted to see where things could go with her for a while now, but I’ve never had the courage to just up and say something, you know?”

Caline nodded. She knew. Most of Paris knew, to a certain extent. She let that fact stay off to the side.

“So, recently, I’d begun to notice that maybe she felt the same way for me, but the thing is, she’s one of my best friends in the whole world. I care about her a lot, and I’m scared that if I tell her, I’ll end up pushing her away.”

“Did you ever consider,” Caline said slowly, “that maybe she feels the exact same way? Friendship and all?”

Adrien shrugged. “I mean, maybe? The thing is, we’ve been dancing around it for ages, and now there’s this other guy that’s interested in her, and she seems to like him. And there’s a girl that’s made it clear that she likes me, and she’s wonderful, but…”

Caline nodded and sipped her cocoa.

“And then there’s a girl from work that I’ve been crushing on for what feels like forever, but she’s made it clear that she is 100% not interested, but we’re also great friends, and I don’t want to come across as shallow.”

“Have you talked with any of them about this?” Caline asked.

Adrien nodded, much to her surprise. “I sat down and let the girl from work know everything. I figured that was safe to do, since we don’t really spend time together, um, outside of work.” Adrien looked off to the side. “At least, I don’t think we do.”

“And what did she say?” Caline asked, slightly more interested than she should have been.

Cut her some slack. This was like a fanfic playing out in real life, and she wasn’t going to miss out. Since you don’t exist in this magical world where superheroes save Paris on the regular, you’re probably not aware, but stories about the city’s saviors were all over the Internet. I won’t waste your time with those, though. I won’t assume you read fanfiction.

Caline does, though. She totally does.

“She told me this was normal, and that I should probably let the other girls know where I stand.”

Caline nodded. “That’s pretty sound advice. Maybe you should take her up on it.”

Adrien shrugged. “I mean, I should, but I don’t know how. I’m not good with girls.” He looked to Caline. “What should I say to them?”

Caline nearly choked on her cocoa. Of all the things her education major prepared her for, having a muted version of The Talk with a superhero was not one of them.

“Oh, my God!” A tiny voice yelled from Adrien’s pocket. “You’re asking her, _too_? How many times do you need to hear the same thing, kid?”

Adrien nearly fell out of his seat. “Um, erm, I must have let my cell on. Sorry.”

“Dude,” the tiny voice said. “I think she knows, kid. I really, _really_ think she knows.”

“Amazing technology, these days,” Adrien said as he broke out in a sweat, swatting his pocket as he spoke.

Caline didn’t change her expression. Instead, she opened her side drawer and took out a wrapped piece of aged cheese. She set it on the desk and sipped her drink.

“Phone charger,” she said as she nodded to the cheese.

Adrien hung his head. “Thanks,” he mumbled as he took the cheese and slipped it in his pocket.

“Back to your girl problem. How about the truth?” Caline offered, completely ignoring the exchange. “That’s always a great place to start.”

Adrien rubbed his face. “I agree. I hate to drag things out, but every time I think I’m ready to say something, I lock up.”

Caline thought about this. “Then write your feelings down.”

Adrien laughed. “I’ve tried that. I tried writing my, um, my coworker a poem expressing my feelings, but she shot them down pretty quick.”

“Then try writing one to your classmate?” Caline offered. “I mean, what could it hurt?”

Adrien thought about that for a moment. “But, again…”

“…You’re scared she’ll reject you. Well then,” Caline said. “Write her anonymously?”

Adrien smiled at that. “That’s not a bad idea.”

“Adrien,” Caline said as she set down her mug. “Do what you think is best, but consider this. The number one thing girls find attractive in a person is confidence. Looks help, and humor is a massive bonus, but confidence is, well, it’s the best. Dancing around things, not being forward with your feelings? That’s _not_ confident.”

Adrien shrank a bit in his seat. “Sorry. I’ve just, um, never done this before.”

Caline was about to say something professional and teacher-like, but she broke at the site of Adrien, unsure and nervous. Caline thought about it for a second and nodded to herself.

“Okay. Here’s what you’re going to do.” She reached down for her oversized teaching bag and fished around until she found her wallet and pulled it out. She then rooted through it until she found a small, red card. “You are going to take this gift card that you just won and you are going to ask that classmate if she would like to go to LaDonna’s with you, since you have the card and all. She will accept. I promise.”

Adrien shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “But, I don’t want to mislead her…”

Caline glared a bit. “Hey, look, you got an 87% on your test last week. Congratulations. Everyone who got an 87% wins a gift card. Here you go.” She tossed it on the desk.

“This is yours, though.”

Caline shook her head. “No, it’s yours. Besides, I got it for free from the manager.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow. “Really? How?”

Caline blushed and looked off to the side. “Just ‘cause.”

Story time. Caline holds the record at LaDonna’s for being stood up on blind dates and Suzette, the shift manager, was so overwhelmed with pity for the hapless teacher sitting at her table for easily the dozenth time, alone, and scarfing down bread with her wine and grumbling about the uselessness of men that she brought over the card out of sheer pity. Suzette has our gal’s back. She’s been there. We’ve all been there.

“Well, thank you, Ms. Bustier.” Adrien said as he slid the card into his pocket. “But then what?”

Caline raised an eyebrow. “Um, that’s kind of up to you. I mean, you could give her the poem ahead of time, I suppose. Or just tell her. I think she’d appreciate it.”

“You think so?” Adrien asked. “Anything else? What about a gift?”

Caline cringed. “Don’t overdo it, okay? Knowing the mystery girl, she’d probably turn it into a shrine.”

If Adrien had paled before when is pocket started laughing, it was nothing to how drained he was now.

“I… I need to go and, um, prepare. Should I call her and ask? Or maybe swing by her home? I should swing by her home. I need to practice. I… I should go.”

“You should go,” Caline said, motioning to the door with her mug.

Adrien smiled and waved as he headed out. Caline went to sip her cocoa.

“…Is he gone?”

Caline spit her coca out in a wide spray across her desk and broke down coughing as a red and black spotted hand slid her already open window open further. Marinette swooped in and cringed when she saw Caline choking on her beverage.

“Sorry,” Marinette said as she went for a roll of paper towels stacked on some old workbooks. “Tikki, spots off.”

Caline pounded her desk a couple times and glared at Marinette. “Don’t ever do that again!”

“Sorry!” Marinette cringed again as she handed Caline a messy wad of towels. Caline nodded her thanks as she padded down her desk and computer screen. After adjusting herself, she leaned back in her chair and in a way-too calm voice said,” Hello, Marinette? What brings you by?”

Marinette blushed and pointed her thumb at the door. “I, um, was coming by to, uh, to see how you were doing and I heard, um, some things.”

Caline raised an eyebrow. “Did you now?”

“WHAT DO I DO?!” Marinette shrieked. “He’s coming. He’s coming to my place to ask me out! I mean, it could be me. Do you think it was me? Oh God, what if it’s Kagami? He could be asking her. It can’t be her! I like her and I _can’t_ kill her. I mean, I probably could, but that’s not the point!”

“Um, Marinette?”

Marinette paused mid-wild gesture. “Yeah?”

“It was you.”

“BBAAAAAALLLAAAGGGGRRRLLLGGG!” Marinette let out a sound one would attribute to a lawnmower running over a sheet of aluminum. Caline shook her head and rubbed her eyes.

“Okay, seriously? He likes you and he’s finally going to make a move. What are you going to do about it?”

Marinette gathered her wits and thought for a moment.

“Okay. Okay. Um…” She looked to Caline. “What _should_ I do?”

Caline shrugged. “I don’t know, be yourself? Wait. Be the confident version of yourself? Pretend your transformed and be your transformed self? That’s probably your best option.”

Marinette thought on this. “That’s a good idea, but…”

“Marinette,” Caline said. “As your teacher. As someone who respects you. As someone who sees you as a friend.” She leaned in and looked Marinette in the eye. “Cut the shit and woman-up. The boy of your dreams is about to take you to dinner at a nice restaurant. Just go, have fun, and remember that this boy is also your friend and that you already have plenty to talk about.”

Marinette recoiled a bit at the bluntness coming from her teacher. “Um, okay? I can do that. I can do that! I can do that…”

Caline settled back into her seat as Marinette left her office.

A moment later, Marinette poked her head back in.

“What if we don’t connect?”

Caline slapped her hand to her face and rubbed her eyes. “Then talk about something you’re both mutually into. How about fashion? Do you think, miss fashion designer, that the fashion model son of a fashion designer can talk about fashion?”

Marinette’s eyes went wide. “Oooo! That’s a great idea!”

Caline looked to her computer.

“What else?”

“Get out of my office and go get yourself your dream man or I will throw you in detention for a week!” Caline shouted.

Marinette made an ‘eep’ sound and bolted out of the office as fast as she could go.

Caline sighed and looked back to her computer. “They had better commit this time, so help them both.”


	2. Things Fall Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this non-used story shell, Caline risks her life and pays a hefty price for it. Chloe is left trying not to completely break down, and some revelations are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this one.
> 
> I had gotten pretty far on this one before I decided it didn't fit the narrative, and that burned. I punched it up a bit for this (I don't want to just put garbage out), but I didn't add much. Overall, I didn't use this for several reasons. 
> 
> First, this was written after Even Heroes Need Help Sometimes, and I felt like most of what was covered here was already covered there, and I don't like retreading. 
> 
> Second, this felt too after-school special to me. I know, I know, it's fanfic, but still. This didn't seem to have the tone I was looking for.
> 
> Third, I was having a damn hard time finding any levity in telling this story. Even in the more emotional stories I did, I was able to find some humor beats as I went. Those just weren't coming here, and that felt bad to me. If I'm not happy when I'm writing, I question if the audience will be. But hey, I could be wrong on that.
> 
> Fourth, I couldn't fit in a good akuma attack. I tried. I really did. Wasn't happening.
> 
> Fifth, the ending felt weak. I usually go back through my stories over and over, adding, changing, filling them out until they feel like a complete thing. This one just fought me, especially on the ending.
> 
> Finally, Chloe. This fic was going to hit on a line I used earlier in the series and expound on it, but the reveal scene felt out of place and derailed the tone for me. I left it in for this so you can see it, and trust me, you'll know what I'm talking about when you get there. Also, I pulled the trigger later on with another pairing that was more in line with the show.
> 
> So, here is the original chapter nine of the series. Ultimately, I ditched for a number of reasons. Also, I was damn happy with the field trip story that took its place. Enjoy.

**Things Fall Apart**

The Champ de Mars was a favorite spot for Caline Bustier to take her lunch on the weekends. The public green was wide, filled with activity, and near to her apartment. Plus, there were any number of small cafes nearby where she could grab a quick bite to enjoy. Now that it was Spring and the weather was warm, Caline looked forward to her Saturday outings.

She would also occasionally see her students there, too. Sometimes they were in a pack, other times, it was just couples. Mylene and Ivan tended to frequent the park, and she had bumped into Rose and Juleka more than once. It was a pleasant hangout spot, and the view was lovely.

Caline had just completed a late-morning jog and was rewarding herself with a quick lunch. She still had her ear buds in and was letting her random jogging mix play what it wanted. She sat on a park bench and ate her soup, content in the warm sunlight while she listened to Salt-n-Peppa extol the merits of pushing it real good. Nearby was the roundabout that went through the center of the park, and all around her were couples, people out for a walk, children, Chloé…

Wait.

Caline looked across the way to see Chloé hiding behind a post. The blonde didn’t seem to know Caline was there, but Caline was able to see from where she was sitting that Chloé was watching another of her students, Adrien Agreste. He seemed to be walking and talking with…

“Oh, my God, is that Marinette?”

Caline did a doubletake. It looked like Marinette, but upon closer inspection, it was someone Caline didn’t recognize. Same hair color, but from this distance, it was difficult to make out much else.

“Hmmm, I wonder. Is that Kagami?” Caline mused to herself. She had seen the young woman at least once before during the school dance, but hadn’t really interacted with her. It looked like she was out on a date with Adrien and very much enjoying his company. It looked like they had ice creams and were deeply engaged in conversation.

Caline smiled. While she was 100% on the Marinette train, she was also happy to see Adrien out and enjoying himself. In her opinion, the kid needed a break.

Caline’s eyes darted back and forth between the happy couple and Chloé, who was still hiding behind a post like the world’s worst ninja. As she did, the chorus of “Ooh baby, baby!” kept repeating in her ears. Caline snickered.

She shook her head at her student’s antics and took the last bite of her soup. “Poor girl,” she said to herself.

Caline took out her ear buds and looked around for a trash can as she gathered up her things. She was halfway to a bin when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. It looked like a little girl with wild pigtails. She was chasing after a kite string that had gotten away from her.

And she was heading at full tilt for the roundabout.

“Manon!” A woman shrieked nearby. Caline looked and saw that the child’s mother was too far away. Caline dropped her trash and took off. She was in her jogging outfit, which along with a turquoise running jacket and black biking shorts included her favorite pair of dirty, well-worn running shoes. While she may not have always looked it, Caline could sprint when she needed to.

And right now, she needed to.

The little girl, Manon, was stepping off the curb, completely oblivious to the world around her. Caline looked to her left and saw a bus bearing down on the girl at top speed. The driver hadn’t noticed her.

Caline didn’t cry out, she just grit her teeth and charged with everything she had. The bus was right there. Caline refused to look to her left. She knew it was inches from them, and if she looked, she might stop, and she couldn’t stop. She leapt off the curb and slammed into the little girl at full-force, knocking her out of the way just in time.

Caline was not as fortunate.

The bus driver slammed on his breaks a moment too late, slamming into Caline and sending her flying across the pavement. She bounced twice before coming to rest in a very still heap.

Nadja Chamack, the mother of the now crying Manon, scooped up her daughter and then screamed for help. Traffic stopped on the roundabout, and people from the park came running.

“Call an ambulance!” Someone shouted as several concerned citizens rushed to check Caline. They had only just gotten a pulse from her when the sound of blood curdling screams made them jump.

Chloé charged forward, shoving the pedestrians out of the way. “NononononoNO!” She collapsed to her knees and scooped Caline up, even as everyone around her tried to stop her.

“Her neck!” a woman shouted. “You can’t move her!”

Chloé heard nothing. There was just a buzzing in her ears. She cradled Ms. Bustier to her and started screaming hysterically. “NO! NO! DON’T YOU TOUCH HER! DON’T YOU _FUCKING_ TOUCH HER!” She was blubbering as she clutched an unconscious Caline to her. “Please no. Not you. Not you. Please. Please don’t be dead. You can’t leave me. Please. Please.”

“Chloé?” Two sets of hands grabbed Chloé from behind, but they didn’t stop her. Adrien hugged her tightly from behind while Kagami held her by the shoulder. Chloé didn’t care. She couldn’t register anything other than the still, crumpled woman in her arms.

***

The first day, Chloé refused to leave.

Her father had come to the hospital as soon as he heard his daughter had to be sedated. He found her sitting in an olive-green plastic padded chair next to a hospital bed. Caline was hooked up to a ventilator and had more tubes running into her than any human had any business having. The slow, steady beeps of the machines exhoed through the room.

“Chloé?” Her dad had said in a scared voice. “Are you okay?”

Chloé was sitting with her knees brought up to her chest in a tight hug. “I couldn’t save her,” she said.

“Chloé?” Andre asked. He looked to Caline. “I heard what happened. There was nothing you could have…”

“I’m a fucking hero!” Chloé snapped. “I have superpowers and I couldn’t save her. I heard the screaming and I looked, and I froze. If I hadn’t, if I had just transformed and done my job she wouldn’t… She wouldn’t…”

Chloé started weeping. “I could have taken the hit, no problem. I’ve had worse, you know. It just shouldn’t have been her.” She leaned over and gently took Caline’s hand. “Not her.”

“Chloé, come home.” Andre said softly. “There’s nothing you can do now. Just let the doctor’s do their job.”

Chloé shook her head. “She doesn’t have any family nearby. She has no one. I’m not leaving her here alone. She shouldn’t be.” Chloé sniffed. “She shouldn’t be alone.”

“Neither should you,” Andre said. He put a hand gently on Chloé’s shoulder. “Please, come home and we can visit her first thing in the morning.”

Chloé leaned against her dad’s hand for a moment and then shook her head. “I’m not alone,” she said. “I’ve got her.”

Andre wanted to argue, but he saw the look in his daughter’s eyes and relented. “Very well. I will be back in an hour with some clothes and some take out. Do these chairs fold out?”

Chloé blinked in surprise. “Really?”

Andre nodded. “If you’re not leaving, then what else can I do? I won’t leave my daughter here, regardless of how grown up she is at the moment.”

Chloé leaned forward and hugged her dad tightly. “Thank you, daddy.”

Andre kissed the top of her head. “For you, princess? Anything.”

***

The second day, there were visitors.

Marinette was there, first thing. She arrived the moment visiting hours started with a huge box of pastries and a worried look plastered to her face.

“I heard about what happened,” she said to Chloé as she set the pastries down. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Chloé glared at Marinette and said, “Gee, I don’t know? Maybe throw some ideas up in the air, see if any help?”

Marinette froze. “Pardon?”

Chloé growled and stood. She marched forward, grabbed Marinette by the arm and hauled her out of the hospital room. Andre watched, confused as the two girls left.

“What are you doing, Chloé?” Marinette demanded as Chloé dragged her to a stairwell and up to the roof.

The moment the door shut and the two were alone, Chloé spun around and shouted,” Why haven’t you healed her?”

Marinette’s eyes went wide. “What?”

Chloé shoved her. “Quit playing stupid! This is not the time! Why haven’t you healed her?”

Marinette stood her ground and slapped Chloé’s hands away. “What are you talking about?”

Chloé charged her and grabbed her by the collar. “Just throw your stupid lucky charm and make her better!”

Marinette froze, shocked, as Chloé screamed and cried. “Just do it! You can save her, so do it already! If you’ve got a problem with me, then fine, I get it, but just…”

Chloé slumped to the ground. “…Just please save her.”

Marinette slowly knelt and wrapped her arms around Chloé. In a small voice, she said, “I’ve already tried six times since yesterday. It just, I guess it doesn’t work like that. I’m sorry.”

Chloé sobbed and haltingly wrapped her arms around Marinette. The two of them stayed like that for a while.

Once Chloé had stopped for a bit, Marinette asked, “How long have you known?”

Chloé pulled back a bit and wiped her face. “For a bit.”

“And you didn’t say anything?”

Chloé shook her head. “You’re my hero, dammit. God, that hurts to say to you when you’re like this. Still, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. “I mean, thank you? I guess I just… Don’t take this the wrong way, but I thought you’d use this to, I don’t know, or to help Lila to…”

“No,” Chloé said in a firm voice. “Never. You leave that girl to the rest of us. We’ll take care of her.”

“But why?” Marinette asked. “I mean, we’ve never…”

Chloé shook her head and smiled as she closed her eyes in mild disbelief. She then looked into Marinette’s eyes, put her hand to the stunned girl’s cheek and said, “because no one gets to do that to you but me.”

Marinette turned red. “Oh.”

They paused for a moment, but then Chloé broke the mood and stood. “I’m sorry,” she said. “This… This isn’t how this conversation should have gone. At all.”

Marinette stood and hugged herself, still red. “Um, I’m flattered? But I, um, I already like…”

“Save it,” Chloé said, her dismissive air already back. “I shouldn’t have let that slip. It’s just… I’m starting to realize that if I don’t say things now, I might not get the chance in the future, so I figured I would just put it out there.”

Marinette smiled. “Thank you, Chloé. I appreciate knowing, and you trusting me enough to tell me.”

Chloé looked away, but shot a glance back. “I mean, I just spilled a big secret of yours, so I figured, why not give you one of mine? Just, um, out of curiosity. If you weren’t already, you know, into Adrien? Would…”

Marinette shrugged. “No clue, but if not that, then… Friends?”

Chloé harrumphed. “We’ll see. Don’t hold your breath, Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette smiled back. “Same, Bourgeois.”

They returned to the hospital room to find Adrien sitting in the green chair with a concerned look on his face.

“Hey,” he said to both of them. They waved and looked to Caline.

“Any change?” Chloé asked.

Adrien shook his head. “No. I just got here, though. Your dad left to get something to eat.”

Marinette saw the look of pain on Adrien’s face and walked over to hug him. Chloé crossed her arms and looked away. “Utterly ridiculous,” she muttered quietly to herself. “I mean, yeah, he’s a nine, but I’m a ten.”

“Are you okay?” Marinette asked.

Adrien nodded. “She’s just… She’s been there for me, and after what happened with mother… This was a lot. That’s all.”

Marinette hugged him again. “Hey, it’s cool. I get it. She’s been there for me, too.”

“Thanks, Marinette,” Adrien said as he hugged her back.

“Adrien?”

They broke their hug to see Kagami standing in the doorway with flowers in hand. She looked from Adrien to Marinette and said, “After what happened, and what you told me, I thought I would pay my respects to your teacher, but…”

Her eyes narrowed.

“I can see my company is not needed. Good day.” She set the flowers down on a side table and marched out of the room.

“Aw crap. Kagami, wait!” Adrien charged after her, but from the sound of clicking heels on the linoleum, Kagami had broken into a sprint as soon as she cleared the door.

“Somebody fucked up,” Chloé sang.

“Chloé!” Marinette scolded. “This was a misunderstanding, and Kagami deserves to know that!”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” Chloé snapped. “You were just handed your dream guy on an emotional platter and you’re tossing him back to the competition? Take advantage of his vulnerability and make him yours!”

Marinette looked at Chloé, shocked.

“What?” Chloé asked. “It’s what I would do. Look, I love him dearly. He’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a brother and I want him to be happy, and you and me are… Complicated. That’s a good word. If I can’t be…” Chloé let out a heavy sigh. “You two together are the next best thing.” She looked at Caline. “I can’t control what’s happening with her, but I can do something with what’s happening with all of you. Just give me this, okay?”

Marinette blushed and scratched the back of her head. “Thank you? And please stop? I don’t want to win his heart like this.”

Chloé shook her head, frustrated. “Fine, whatever.” She looked at Caline and frowned. “I’ve been trying to break them up for a while now, so you know.”

Marinette nodded. “I remember the movie premier.”

Chloé laughed a little. “Yeah. That didn’t go so well. I just… If he’s going to be with someone, it should be with someone I approve of.”

“And that’s me?”

“Don’t get a big head about it,” Chloé said, blushing.

Marinette sat down in the chair on the opposite side of Caline’s bed.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she said.

***

On the third day, Chloé broke down.

She was napping, head-down on Caline’s bed, when her father shook her awake. “Chloé?” He whispered. “Come on, we need to get out for a bit. Let’s get you some air.”

“No,” Chloé said. “I’m not leaving her.”

“Your mother is in town and I figured we could go to dinner, get away for a bit…”

Chloé pulled away. “No! My mother? Seriously?”

Andre sighed. “Sweetie, you know things have been, well, not good with her for a while now. I just thought this would be a chance for us to try to connect before she left.”

Chloé could hear the desperate tone in her father’s voice, but she didn’t care. “Just let her leave.”

“Chloé!”

“She’s terrible!” Chloé shouted. “She’s a terrible person and I don’t care if she leaves! Just go to dinner with that thing and leave me here! She needs me! I need to be here!”

Andre put a hand on Chloé’s shoulder. “Sweetie, she’s…”

“I NEED HER!” Chloé shouted, sobbing. She pulled away, harder this time, and took Caline’s hand. “I need her.”

Andre let out a long sigh.

“What can I do to help?”

Chloé stared at Caline for a long time and said,” We were getting ready to read in class. _The Count of Mont_ _é Cristo_. She told us all that it was one of her favorites. Could you bring me my copy from my bag?

Andre smiled and nodded. “I can. I’ll bring it by after dinner.”

“Daddy?”

Andre had been heading for the door, but he stopped and turned. “Yes?”

“You’re a better person without her. You know that, right?”

Andre closed his eyes for a moment and turned back to the door. “I’ll be back with your book. I promise.”

***

On the fourth day, Caline awoke slowly, her head in a black fog. She was aware of a bed underneath her and something heavy on her face. She wanted to reach up to see what it was, but her arms felt like lead. Around her, she heard a familiar, strained voice echoing through her head.

““Maximilian,” said the count, “the friends that we have lost do not repose in the bosom of the earth, but are buried deep in our hearts, and it has been thus ordained that we may always be accompanied by them. I have two friends, who in this way never depart from me; the one who gave me being, and the other who conferred knowledge and intelligence on me. Their spirits live in me. I consult them when doubtful, and if I ever do any good, it is due to their beneficent counsels. Listen to the voice of your heart, Morrel, and ask it whether you ought to preserve this melancholy exterior towards me.””

Caline opened her mouth. It felt like it had been stuffed with cotton, and her tongue felt swollen and unused. In a weak voice, she said, “The voice of my heart is very sorrowful, and promises me nothing but misfortune.”

“ _Holy shit!_ ” The voice yelped. Caline heard something hit the floor and the sound of someone scrambling around. The sound of a button being pressed over and over made her open her eyes to see a blurry form slowly come into focus.

“Chloé?” Caline asked, confused.

“It’s okay,” Chloé frantically said. She had a happy, worried, scared look on her face and appeared to be crying. “You rest. It’s all okay. I’m calling the nurses right nooowhat the _fuck_ took you so long!” Chloé ended her statement by shouting at the door. Caline cringed.

“Sorry, ma’am, but we came as soon as we saw the call light,” a calm voice said. Someone leaned over Caline and checked her arm and face. Caline blinked at a bright light moving from one eye to another. “Well, hello there,” a friendly voice said. “Welcome back to the land of the living.”

“Where am I?” Caline asked through the glup in her mouth. Seriously, it felt like she had just come off a bender.

“Hôtel-Dieu,” the nurse said. “You’ve been out for four days. We were starting to get worried.”

Caline’s eyes opened wider. “Fo… Four days? What happened?”

Chloé snorted and crossed her arms. “Seriously? You ran in front of a bus. Like, just charged off the curb. Honestly, Ms. Bustier, you were acting ridiculous.”

Caline smiled. “Utterly ridiculous?”

Chloé’s mouth snapped shut and she blushed. “Maybe,” she said, looking away.

The nurse injected something into the tube in Caline’s arm. “This should help with any pain, which I’m sure there’s a lot of.”

Caline looked around, her lucidity increasing with every breath. “How bad am I?”

The nurse laughed. “You’re lucky is what you are. You got some road rash and there was some internal bleeding, but aside from a cracked skull and some internal bleeding, you managed to avoid the worst-case scenario.”

Caline tried to turn her head, but it hurt like Hell to do so. “Is the little girl okay?”

Chloé laughed at that. “The little brat that ran in the road? Oh yeah, she’s fine. Her mother has been keeping all of Paris updated on you, by the way. You’re officially a celebrity.” Chloé reached for the room remote and turned on the monitor above Caline’s bed.

“…It’s just the news. I’m Nadja Chamack, coming to you live on day four of our vigil for Caline Bustier, who just days ago charged into traffic to save a little girl’s life.” The camera cut from Nadja to the front of the hospital and a stack of flowers and banners asking that Caline get well soon. The camera then cut to Marinette, who was being interviewed.

Chloé turned off the television. “They’ve played Dupain-Cheng’s clip every hour on loop. She goes on and on about how you’re the best teacher in Paris and how lucky your students are, blah blah.” Chloé looked back to Caline and sighed. “I thought you were dead, you know.”

Caline tried to shrug, but it hurt. Everything hurt. “Sorry.”

Chloé took her hand. “Please don’t ever do anything like that again,” she said. “I can’t lose you. I can _never_ lose you.”

Caline smiled warmly at Chloé. “Sweetie, I never meant to worry you.”

Chloé looked at her, sitting there awake and smiling, and everything she had left came crumbling down. She leaned over the bed and hugged Caline as she let out everything she still had left, which was a lot.

“Please,” Chloé said softly. “Please don’t ever leave me again.”

Caline put her arm around Chloé and held her as tight as she could, which wasn’t all that tight at all.

“Where are your parents?” Caline asked, looking around. She saw the state of Chloé and asked, “have you been here the whole time?”

Chloé nodded, her face still buried. “Daddy has been here, too. He only left today to deal with the lawyers.”

“Lawyers?”

Chloé looked up and sniffed. “My, um, my mom left yesterday. For good.”

Caline squeezed her even tighter. “I’m so sorry. I am so, so sorry.”

Chloé shook her head. “Don’t be. This was a long time coming. Besides,” she looked at Caline. “She’s not… She hasn’t really been a mom to me in years. It’s fine.”

“Chloé, it can’t be fine. That’s…”

Chloé looked up and snapped at Caline. “She can burn. She’s nothing, and now she’s gone, and I thought you were, too. I thought…” Chloé’s voice went quiet for a moment. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I swear.”

“Chloé, that’s not a promise you can make.” Caline looked for some water, as her mouth felt awful. She found a cup of ice chips the nurse had left and she greedily sucked at them.

“I can,” Chloé said. “You just promise me that you won’t do anything that stupid ever again. Please.” She looked Caline in the eye, and it nearly broke her teacher’s heart. “Please.”

“I promise, kiddo.” She said. “As best I can, I will never leave you again.”

Maybe she shouldn’t have made a promise like that, and if she hadn’t been on painkillers, Caline probably would have thought things through.

But for now?

Even as hurt as she was, Caline could tell that Chloé was hurting worse.


	3. Deleted Scene - Alix Gets Her Watch Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A deleted scene from The Wedding of Claine Bustier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> This was a deleted part from The Wedding of Caline Bustier. Originally, this whole story was going to be very Alix-centric, with her causing a Multi-Ladybug event, but the more I tried to string it together, the worse it read, and eventually I just changed course. Still, this feels like something that would have happened, so for those that like this sort of thing, here’s the scene. Enjoy!

Alix Kubdel fidgeted in her turquoise dress for what felt like the hundredth time as her classmates scurried around her.

See, Alix was not a dress girl.

Okay, it was more than just that. She would have ripped the garment off and burned it in favor of her skater clothes in a heartbeat, save for three facts.

One, this was for Ms. Bustier’s wedding, and she was a bridesmaid, which meant for one day she would suck it up and wear the damn dress.

Two, Marinette had designed it, and Alix loved her friend enough to not disrespect the hard work Mari had obviously put in.

Not to mention third and most important; she didn’t have a change of clothes.

The entire class had been buzzing about the wedding for a month. The whirlwind preparations had left everyone’s heads spinning, and more than once the paparazzi had tried crashing a History lesson. Like the rest of the class, Alix had been confused as to the rush until one day she noticed Ms. Bustier’s jacket seemed to be fitting a little tighter than normal. From that point on, everything suddenly made sense.

After a late night or three at Marinette’s where the budding designer had frantically measured, hemmed, and adjusted everyone’s dresses, as well as a questionably legal bachelorette party, Alix and the rest of the girls found themselves in the Musee Rodin’s green room. Alix had forgone the offered makeup artists and hair stylists, and instead chose to kick back in a corner and sip a juice box as she watched her friends scurry around the room.

“Hey,” a voice said to her left. Alix flinched at the noise. She guessed this was what being hungover meant, as she had drank quite a few Chloé specials. They all had. Mylene referred to them as Atomic Blondes, which made Chloé cackle and offer more. 

It explained why the noise levels were a bit lower than would be expected.

She turned to see Marinette standing there, smiling at her. She was in a similar turquoise dress, and her hair looked amazing. It was shiny and up in what looked like a messy bun, but there were curly strands hanging down that framed her face. Alix had to admit, the girl looked good.

“Hey Mars. Nice hair,” Alix said. She gestured with her juice box.

“Thanks,” Marinette said. She smiled and blushed as her hand went up to adjust it. “I’m not used to this much product.”

Alix nodded. “Yeah, you’re pretty straightforward with your hair. Looks good, though.”

Marinette nodded. “Thanks,” she said again. “Look, um, before things get started, I was thinking, and, well… Do you remember a conversation we had last year?”

Alix eyed Marinette for a moment. “Um, you might need to be a bit more specific than that.”

Marinette bit her lip and looked around the room for a moment. “Okay. So, um, we’ve been through a lot, and, um, I trust you.”

“Thank you?” Alix said, raising an eyebrow. “I trust you, too?”

Marinette frowned and gave Alix a slight shove. “I mean with the whole, you know, thing.”

Alix noticed some movement from Marinette’s hair. She glanced up and saw Tikki poking her head out of the bun and winking at Alix before quickly disappearing back inside.

“Oh,” Alix said. “Yeah, okay. I’m following now.”

“So anyway,” Marinette continued. She reached into her purse. “It occurred to me that it’s not fair for me to, well, as the Guardian I have the right to, um… This was yours long before it was mine.”

Alix’s eyes widened as Marinette pulled out a familiar silver pocket watch and handed it to Alix. Alix hesitantly reached out for it, but then paused. She looked Marinette in the eyes and asked, “Are you sure? Because this one is probably a no takebacks situation.”

Marinette put the pocket watch in Alix’s hands. “You’re one of my oldest and dearest friends. I trust you, Alix. You’re brave and clever, and you know how to keep a secret. If and when the need arises, I would be honored to have you fight by my side.”

Alix looked at the watch in her hands and started to respond, but she felt her throat locking up. She looked up at Marinette and felt tears start to form in her eyes. “I, that’s,” She wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Well, shit. I, um… Thank you. I promise I won’t ever let you down.”

Marinette opened her arms and wrapped Alix into a hug, which the short redhead returned. “You never could. I’m sorry I waited this long.”

“I told you to, remember?” Alix asked.

“I guess you did, didn’t you?” Marinette laughed. She pulled back and grinned. “And now, I need to go redo my makeup before my mascara runs more than it has.” She wiped at her eyes. “I just wanted you to have that before things got underway.”

Alix shot Marinette a look. “Any particular reason?”

“Not really,” Marinette said, shaking her head. “Other than me forgetting or getting cold feet. I just… I think I should start trusting more people, and I’d like to start with you. If you’re cool with that?”

Alix nodded. She slipped the watch into her purse and patted it. “I am so cool with that. You don’t even know.”

“DUPAIN-CHENG, HOW DO YOU UNZIP THIS DRESS AGAIN?”

Chloé’s voice cut through the room like a knife. Marinette’s eyes went wide as her head whipped around. Scrambling, she took off towards Ms. Bustier, crying out, “Don’t use the side zipper! DON’T USE THE SIDE ZIPPER!”

Alix shook her head and laughed as she watched Marinette charge across the room. She then slipped the watch out of her purse to look at it again. She turned it over and over in her hand as a smile crept across her lips.

“Finally,” she said to herself. “I’m an official miraculous holder. I wonder when I’ll get a chance to use it?”

Alix had meant sometime after the reception, or later that night, or maybe even sometime during the week.

Fate, however, had other plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a Tumblr. I post story stuff there and answer questions.  
> https://ronoken.tumblr.com/


	4. Extended Rooftop Scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An extended section from chapter 33 of What To Do When Your Superhero Is Having A Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this fic and I love this chapter, but there was supposed to be a bit more to it than just what was posted. The section in question though felt somewhat out of place when I went back over it, so I figured it could sit here. I hope you enjoy. Anyway, let me know what you think. If you're a fan of the story and you like this small change/addition, go ahead and pretend it happened. It's cool.

Chloé landed on the rooftop of the Dupain-Cheng bakery and nodded to Marinette, who was waiting with two hot mugs.

“So,” Marinette said as Chloé dropped her transformation. She handed the blonde a mug of cocoa. “On your first night as Ladybug, you were up nearly the entire evening calling, texting, and screaming at nearly half of Paris to completely overhaul a stranger’s life. From what I’ve gathered from Caline, you had your father reorganize a city contract. He also shuffled multiple paid positions in his cabinet to create a new chair, and you had him redirect funds from an established educational foundation to provide a last-second scholarship so you could pull a girl from her school. You then skipped first period to threaten the jobs of multiple people and terrorized several families by leaning on Roger of all people, and I understand Sabrina had a principal fired this afternoon?”

Chloé blushed and shuffled her feet. “I mean, I, I didn’t know what else to do? I… I’m sorry. I wanted to do this right, you know? I thought if I talked to them, if I could get them to see how they were hurting that poor girl they’d, I dunno, respond or something. But, they didn’t, and that principal! He was ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! He honestly didn’t care if Ashley was hurt or not, and when I turned Sabrina loose on them, it felt good? I know it shouldn’t have, but it really did. She, like, _destroyed_ them in under two minutes, and I wanted her to. That’s not what a hero is supposed to do!”

“Chloé?” Marinette asked.

“And that doesn’t fix anything! Those girls should have apologized because they saw how their actions hurt others, but they only did it out of fear. They did it because we had more power and we were able to bully them, and that just shows them their actions were right!”

“Hey, Chloé?”

“And that doesn’t fix anything! It doesn’t stop them from moving on to the next girl. And what if next time there isn’t someone to stop them, or to be there on the ledge? What did I even do today that made any damn difference? I just…”

“CHLOÉ!”

Chloé paused.

“Thank you.”

Chloé looked up to see Marinette staring at her in the moonlight. Her eyes were glassy, and her smile was genuine.

“What?” Chloé asked, confused.

“This was the single biggest act of heroism I’ve ever seen from you,” Marinette said. “You saved Ashley’s life, Chloé. You moved the world for her! You were there for her and you stood up for her, and when you did, you tried using compassion and understanding.”

“But it didn’t work,” Chloé said.

“But they’ll remember that you tried,” Marinette pointed out. “They’ll remember that someone spoke to them and reached out. And maybe this wasn’t enough, but what if it happens again? What if it adds up enough that it does have an impact?”

Chloé fidgeted but didn’t respond. Marinette reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“You say what you did didn’t matter, but it did. Today, you stepped up and you did something. Something huge. That meant the world to Ashley. Tomorrow, she’s going to wake up and go to school happy. She’s going to make friends and do well for herself, and she’s going to do it because of you.”

“You’re wrong,” Chloé said.

“Oh?”

There was a beat.

“It’s because of you.”

Chloé sat in the patio chair across from Marinette and stared at her cocoa.

“I was just going to catch her with my line and bring her back to her parents if she jumped. And then I saw her face, and I heard her talk about what was happening, and all I saw was you.”

“Chloé?” Marinette asked. “I don’t understand.”

“I saw how I treated you,” Chloé said, her voice quiet. “I saw every mean thing I had ever done to you. All the names, the insults, the mean things I had done. I saw all of it in that one moment right in her face, and I realized I was no better than those girls Ashley was talking about. I was your bully for years, and the only difference between you and her is that you were strong enough to endue it.”

Marinette set her cocoa down and reached out for Chloé’s hands. “Hey,” she said. “That’s, you never, I never felt like that because of you, okay? It wasn’t because of you.”

Chloé started trembling. “But you could have,” she said. “And then when Lila pulled her stunts and just added to everything…” She looked up at Marinette with tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry,” she cried.

Marinette swept her into a hug. “Shhh,” she said as Chloé gripped her.

“I’ve been terrible to you! To everyone! For so long! I just… I’m sorry! God, I am _so sorry!”_

“Hey,” Marinette said. “You’re not that person anymore. You haven’t been for a long time. And we’ve all forgiven you. All of us.”

Chloé didn’t respond. She just continued to cry as Marinette held her. Eventually, the tears ran their course, and the two girls scooted back from each other.

“Thank you,” Chloé said at last. “It means a lot to hear that. Especially from you.”

“Of course,” Marinette said, smiling. “We’re good, Chloé. But, hey? So we’re clear? If you ever give me any grief, I will not hesitate to kick your ass.”

Chloé nodded and finally let out a laugh. “Yeah, that’s fair. By the way? I’m going to be your kid’s godmother. Just so we’re clear.”

Marinette smirked. “Still getting ahead of yourself?”

Chloé shook her head as she looked at Marinette. “That kid is going to be loved by you. By both of you. I mean, that’s obvious. But if something happens? And don’t say it won’t because you know it can. If something happens, your kids will be safe, and they’ll be loved. Always. I promise.”

Chloé wiped at her eyes. “Just don’t read too much into it, alright? It’s just, no one I know is ever going to have a child that doesn’t feel loved. Ever.”

Marinette looked Chloé in the eye and beamed. “You’re fantastic, Queen Bee. You know that?”

Chloé smiled. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

Marinette put her hand to her chin in mock thought. “I daresay you’re almost as fantastic as me.”

Chloé smirked. “Please. You _wish_ you were as cool as I am.”

“I could say the same,” Marinette countered.

Chloé laughed. “You’re actually snarky tonight. Huh. Wonders just won’t cease today, will they?”

Marinette shook her head. “I suppose they won’t. On that note, um I’m glad you came by, actually.”

“Of course I came by,” Chloé said. “I had to drop off your earrings. I borrowed these, remember?” Chloé took the earrings off and reached out to hand them back to Marinette.

Marinette ignored her. “There was something I’ve been needing to talk to you about.”

“Oh?”

Marinette reached out and closed Chloé’s hands with her own.

“Wait,” Chloé said. “What are you doing?”

“My reserve bug can’t cover for me all the time,” Marinette said. “And it’s unfair of me to keep putting your mom on the spot. I need someone I can trust, Chloé. And aside from Chat? No one else has wielded a miraculous longer.”

Chloé looked at the earrings in her hand.

“You’re asking me?” She whispered. “You’re really asking me?”

Marinette nodded. “I need someone out there I can trust. Someone who will never back down, who can think on her feet and lead. And when the situation arises, put everyone through Heck and back to make something right, even if it’s just for one person.”

“But, I’m your… I’m your bully,” Chloé said in a small voice.

“You haven’t been that in years,” Marinette pointed out.

“…I didn’t think you’d want me for this. We, um… There’s a lot we’ve never… I never talked to you after, um, about things.”

Marinette sighed and nodded. She didn’t need the blonde to fill in any gaps. “Yeah, I know. But, that’s on me too, isn’t it? I could have said something to you, and I didn’t.”

Chloé allowed herself a small smile. “I guess.” She swallowed.

“Look,” Marinette said. “We’ve known each other for a long time, and we’ve been a _lot_ of things to one another. Remember the time you and I got into a fist fight on the playground in third grade?”

Chloé snorted. “You were the first person to stand up to me. Up until then, everyone had just done what I told them to. Everyone but you.” She laughed a little. “Remember when you invited me to that sleepover in fifth grade?”

“You mean when I caught you and Sabrina down in the bakery eating all of the pastries in the tray?”

Chloé nodded. “We got so sick we both ended up throwing up the next day. It was awful.” She looked to Marinette.

“Do you, um, regret the fact that we, um… You know?”

Marinette shook her head. “Do you?”

Chloé thought about it.

“I don’t think so. I mean, we were both there for it, and honestly, we’re both in a good place now. Maybe we needed to get it out of our systems? Maybe it was one of those, you never know things? I don’t know. I didn’t know what I was feeling, and, um, I just felt bad about it afterwards.”

Marinette curled up a bit. “Oh?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, I went straight from you to Sabrina. I figured you felt slighted? I guess, I never knew how to talk to you about it, so, um, I didn’t. Like, at all.” She looked to Marinette. “Sorry.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry. I mean, I kinda did the same thing? It’s cool. I figured we just parted on good terms.”

Chloé nodded. “I like that. I guess I’d put it out of my head until now, but yeah. Thanks for that.”

“And hey,” Marinette said. “It seriously worked out. We’re both happy now, right?”

Chloé nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess we are, aren’t we?”

“Look, I know we’ve got a lot of history, and that it’s all over the place, but I just know that all of that, _everything_ , doesn’t change how I see you now.”

“God, here we go,” Chloé said. She rolled her eyes, but she was blushing.

Marinette lightly whapped at her. “Stop it. You’ve been there for me, and for our class. That’s who you are _now_. And I trust you. I trust you with Tikki. I’d trust you with my life, Chloé.”

“What about the other day?” Chloé asked. “I thought you weren’t settling on just one user. You’ve been giving these out left and right. You gave it to Juleka of all people!”

“That wasn’t my call,” Marinette said. “This right here is. And she did just fine, by the way. Did you even _see_ her outfit?”

Chloé blushed and looked away. “I mean, it was okay.”

Marinette stared.

“Yeah.” Marinette coughed. “Yeah, it was okay.”

Chloé nodded. “Um… I took a picture.”

“Oh?” Marinette said, her voice slightly higher than she meant it to be. “Could you, um, text that to me? For design purpose reason things?”

Chloé slipped out her phone and quickly sent off a text. “Done.”

Marinette checked her phone as her cheeks turned red. “Yes. Right. Juleka. So hot. Good! So good. As Ladybug. Have some faith in our friends.”

“But, but,” Chloé was floundering as the conversation shifted back to the topic at hand. “What about Alya? Or, or…”

“Chloé?” Marinette said. She again put her hands over the blonde’s. “When you called half of Paris last night to make things right for Ashley, everyone jumped to help. Everyone stepped up. That was because of you. Of who you are.”

Marinette held Chloé’s hands tightly. “Alya’s my bestie and Juleka is a sweetheart, but right now? I don’t need a friend. I need the one person on the team that will stand up to me. I need someone that everyone will listen to, and that’s you. You’re a leader.”

“So, we’re not friends?” Chloé asked.

“Of _course_ we’re friends, but I don’t just need a friend for this.” Marinette looked her in the eye. “I need a sister.”

“Oh,” Chloé said, her voice going hoarse.

Marinette stared. “I mean it.”

“But I’m not… I, um… Wow. I… Goddammit.”

Chloé grabbed Marinette and pulled her in for a hug.

“You just had to play the sister card, didn’t you, you bitch?” Chloé growled.

“It’s true and you know it,” Marinette said back.

They quickly let go of one another.

Chloé turned away and did her best to discreetly wipe at her eyes. “So, what about Babybug? What are you going to tell her?”

Marinette looked away for a moment. “I’ll take care of her. She might still help, but for now? I’m putting you in the lead.”

Chloé nodded, her heart going a mile a minute.

Marinette smiled at her. “Effective immediately and until I’m able to resume my duties, you’re now Ladybug. If you want the job.”

“If, if you think I can… Oh Hell. Who am I kidding? Of _course_ I want the job!” Chloé grinned. “This is… This is the highest honor. I won’t let you down. I won’t let Paris down, I promise!”

Marinette smiled. “I know.”

Once upon a time, Chloé Bourgeois was a bully. She was petty, and hateful, and by all accounts, a cruel person in the eyes of Paris.

And then things changed.

Not all at once, and not suddenly, but over time something crept in under the layers of hate and jealousy. Something good. And in time, that something good grew.

It rooted, and it was nurtured by the love of her friends, and the strength of her family.

And one day, it had grown so much that it replaced the person Chloé had been with something far, far better.

She was still Chloé Bourgeois. She still had the capacity to be mean, and petty, and cruel.

But she also knew how to love. She knew how to see something better in herself. And she knew how to use what she had to help others.

And that is why Chloé Bourgeois was exceptional.

And that is why for the next seven months, she was Ladybug.


End file.
